Clavicle fractures (also known as broken collarbones) are a common injury. For a long time, the treatment of a clavicle fracture has been simply conservative, non-surgical care (non-operative treatment). Over the last few years, however, various devices such as plates, screws and pins have been developed to aid in the operative treatment of clavicle fractures, reducing the chronic pain, weakness and high nonunion rate typically associated with the non-operative treatment of the clavicle fractures.
For example, clavicle plates have been developed to fix broken collarbones by means of a metal plate placed on top of the broken bone and secured in place with screws through the bone. Similarly, intramedullary fixation devices (which have been used primarily for long bones of the legs and arms) have been also developed for clavicle fractures. Pin fixation within the medullary canal of a broken clavicle is often associated, however, with undesirable migration of the pin within the medullary canal.
Accordingly, an intramedullary fixation device designed specifically for repairing broken collarbones and for holding the fracture nail in place in the collarbone (without medial and lateral movement) is needed.